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I have a het for albino Boa that is mean as hell. Any tip that might help me tame him? He is c.b. 04 and about 24 inches. Thank you for any replies,
Tom

Doing what you should do with every reptile that can tolerate regular handleing. If it is bitey, i suggest using a pair of rubber gloves (new ones, not the ones you use for cleaning). Only use the rubber gloves for smaller snakes and lizards.

"Taming" Schedule:

Week 1: 5 minutes a day every day ('cept for the 48 hour no handleing period after eating).
Week 2: 5-10 minutes a day every day ('cept for the 48 hour no handleing period after eating).
Week 3: 10-15 minutes a day every day ('cept for the 48 hour no handleing period after eating).
Week 4: 15-20 minutes a day every day ('cept for the 48 hour no handleing period after eating).
Week 5: 20-25 minutes a day every day ('cept for the 48 hour no handleing period after eating).
Week 6: you get the pictures
Week 7: Don't handle more than 30 minutes a day, stay with between 20 and 30.

-note-
I have NEVER heard of an instance when regular handleing wasn't able to make a mean CB BC ssp docile within 3 weeks. Seeing as how it is a baby it is most likely scared. The rubber gloves work very well with babies, as they hate the taste of them.
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0.1 "Tremper" looking Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 tiger crested gecko (peachs)
0.1 Red blood python (Rhianon)
0.0.1 ball pythons (FELIX!!!!!)
2.1 Feral cats that we adopted (Fuzzy, Bear, and Tony)

My image Gallery

Thank you very much! This is one of the best forums on the net. I don't have any bloods YET but I always enjoy this forum.Thanks again,
Tom

Hi,
Wish I could help, but I also have a 2-year old Male that is mean as hell! He is 2-ft and I have no plans on keeping him.
I have to wear a sweatshirt and winter gloves before I go anywhere near this guy! Ugh. Taming is not an option for these pythons!

is he some kind of midget blood python? When i got rhianon she was 26" long at 4 months old.
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0.1 "Tremper" looking Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 tiger crested gecko (peachs)
0.1 Red blood python (Rhianon)
0.0.1 ball pythons (FELIX!!!!!)
2.1 Feral cats that we adopted (Fuzzy, Bear, and Tony)

My image Gallery

I currently have almost 100 blood & short-tail pythons, and with the exception of just a few, the vast majority of mine are very tame. Bloods (like many snakes) are a reflection of what you choose to make of them - if you treat them like crap & handle them like they're going to bite you, generally they're going to bite you and not tame down, and every handling experience will end on a sour note, reiterating to the blood that people aren't something great to be around.

If you're willing to put the effort into meeting a snake on its terms, most of the bloods you meet will eventually calm down into a pleasant, tractable captive. Does this mean they're always going to be as predictably docile as ball pythons (and let me tell you, there are some UPPITY balls out there!)? NO! But don't expect the snake to be something it isn't.

Don't go preaching your anti-blood propaganda based on a single snake. There are excessively defensive specimens of EVERY species, and also keepers who are unskilled/unwilling to get over a few bites here & there & unlock the joy behind establishing a good rapport with a snake.

Sucks to be you - I honestly wish you were having as good of a time with your blood as people on this forum have with theirs...

Open your mind up a bit.

K

>>Hi,
>>Wish I could help, but I also have a 2-year old Male that is mean as hell! He is 2-ft and I have no plans on keeping him.
>>I have to wear a sweatshirt and winter gloves before I go anywhere near this guy! Ugh. Taming is not an option for these pythons!
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Just because I have a short attention span doesn't mean

>>I currently have almost 100 blood & short-tail pythons, and with the exception of just a few, the vast majority of mine are very tame. Bloods (like many snakes) are a reflection of what you choose to make of them - if you treat them like crap & handle them like they're going to bite you, generally they're going to bite you and not tame down, and every handling experience will end on a sour note, reiterating to the blood that people aren't something great to be around.
>>
>>If you're willing to put the effort into meeting a snake on its terms, most of the bloods you meet will eventually calm down into a pleasant, tractable captive. Does this mean they're always going to be as predictably docile as ball pythons (and let me tell you, there are some UPPITY balls out there!)? NO! But don't expect the snake to be something it isn't.
>>
>>Don't go preaching your anti-blood propaganda based on a single snake. There are excessively defensive specimens of EVERY species, and also keepers who are unskilled/unwilling to get over a few bites here & there & unlock the joy behind establishing a good rapport with a snake.
>>
>>Sucks to be you - I honestly wish you were having as good of a time with your blood as people on this forum have with theirs...
>>
>>Open your mind up a bit.
>>
>>K
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>>Hi,
>>>>Wish I could help, but I also have a 2-year old Male that is mean as hell! He is 2-ft and I have no plans on keeping him.
>>>>I have to wear a sweatshirt and winter gloves before I go anywhere near this guy! Ugh. Taming is not an option for these pythons!
>>-----
>>Just because I have a short attention span doesn't mean
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Just because I have a short attention span doesn't mean

Bloods Against Biting, "humans are friends, not food". It's sad to read all the time in ads, and in forums that bloods tend to be biters. Somehow I was lucky enough to get all the really sweet bloods. Yes I do have one male that during breeding time will let me know who he thinks is the man of the house, but I set him straight Kara, thanks for being a great role-model and setting the record straight. They are pretty cool snakes.

LOL.. I wish this worked for my roomates great dane puppy.. shes learning just really slowly (well she had 4 months with him alone but is apparently turning around drastically since I moved back in)

Anyways the biggest part of taming an animal is learning what exactly makes them defensive. Alot just dont want you in there space, some dont want to be touched at all, others are just plain nervous, and a few.. a very very very select few might just wanna bite you. You have to spend time with it and see what its like (ok were not getting into the arguement about snakes having personalities). All of my ST's are fortunately tame as a kitten but occasionally I take advantage of it too much and get struck at, or once in an ever seldom blue moon I might get tagged. Every single time anything like this happens tho I'm aware and choose too ignore it cause they very very very seldom display this type of behavior ie. I just made some chicken wasnt thinking about it and I notice a some soiled substrate... I smell like chicken I'm hot = lots of yum yums Not that I've ever done that but hypathetically thinking. For me the best thing in order to know how to calm an animal is finding the problem at hand and then acting appropriately. I think bloods are alot better about saying dont touch me or ill bite you than alot of other snakes because there so vocal.... anyways.. no more deep serpent thoughts with jordan.. gloves, reputed gradual handling and you should be ok
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"It's my snake, I trained it, so I'm going to eat it!" - Mad Max, The Road Warrior

np
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"From my rotting body flowers shall grow, and i them - and that is eternity."

I'm not even about to lower myself here and respond to your post. Your immaturity, and childish behavior is so indicative of so many on this forum. I appreciate your 2-cents, and I do not plan on attacking you or your words.

Jerseyguy

If you go back and actually do so, not a single thing in that post was immature, title notwithstanding.

I'm sorry that you're unable/unwilling to take advice or try to understand when someone is attempting to relay experience to you, especially when you're having such a lousy time with your blood python. Maybe you should take some of the forum members up on their offers to relieve you of such a terrible, dangerous snake!

So really, there's nothing to attack. Glad we're on the same page here, kiddo.

RELAX!!! UNCLENCH!!!! GO LEARN HOW TO ENJOY YOUR SNAKE - FOR BOTH THE SNAKE'S SAKE (say that 5 times real fast) AND YOURS!!!!!

K

>>I'm not even about to lower myself here and respond to your post. Your immaturity, and childish behavior is so indicative of so many on this forum. I appreciate your 2-cents, and I do not plan on attacking you or your words.
>>
>>Jerseyguy
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Just because I have a short attention span doesn't mean

That I was scared to even get into bloods....But thank God I people like KLG opened my eyes. I currently have four Black Bloods that are totally fine. Sure they occasionaly do that huffing and puffing stuff but if you truely respect the animal and they mean enough to you,they will become some of your most loved herps( at least in my case) It makes sick hearing all this negative crap. They are not vicious animals, they do not always "sewer spray" and they are completely tameable.
I think its just that some people aren't cut out for the blood python world..

Just My 2 cents...

Terry

jersey guy I think you should grow up bloods are the most beautiful snakes and they can be snappy it doesnt mean that they are mean its their defense mecahnism because its more afraid of you than you are of him. Maybe your not handling or whatever your doing properly there are reasons it could stay mean its the owner not the animal I have noticed that. I have a friend who just got a blood a few months ago before I even got my own he was struggling to tame him for over a year why becuase he keeps holding his head like he was scared of it and I took it and tamed him in only 2 weeks because I let him go free and about on the palm of my hands which is why I even bought one of my own and kept his blood becuase I fell in love with bloods after taming that blood. I tamed my blood in a month with no bites at all. its the individual animal and the owner itself too. You must understand some bloods tame faster than other some will take you an year or 2 or some will take a month you have to show the snake that it can trust you.

So typical, Sure, go ahead, attack the person. Yeah, ok. I'm not even going to respond to the supidity of such a response. Grow up? ? ? Really? Please. ok. enough Said.

Jerseyguy

And moreover, what are you trying to gain from entering a forum dedicated to the keeping and breeding of a certain type of animal -- obviously filled with people who enjoy keeping said animal, and feel that the animal makes a good pet for a large number of keepers -- and make a clearly negative statement about the animal about which the forum is dedicated? You did not indicate that you wanted help with your specific animal and situation -- in fact, the entire purpose of your posts seem to be to steer others away from keeping the animal in question. I literally don't understand what kind of response you were expecting, or what you felt you could possibly gain from posting comments that are clearly negative and closed-ended (not asking for help or advise).

I'm not trying to start a flame-war, or even participate in one. I'm just asking what on earth you felt WAS an appropriate response to your comments.
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Kitt

also look I am even holding my blood with no problems

oops wrong pic

if your blood is so terrible I have a solution! i will pay the shipping for you to send me the snake. you will then be relieved of the burden of dealing with a snake that you clearly dont have the time/desire to work with, and I will be the happy owner of another blood. you will be less stressed, I will be delighted with the new snake, and most importantly the snake will be happy to be cared for by someone who wants to take the time to care for it.

I'm serious
jeff
my tattoo web site

Are you kidding? I didn't see this post before I responded below. Sounds like your snake is HUNGRY!!! My 2 year olds are close to 5 feet in length (they are red bloods). Why didn't you just ask for advice or whether that behavior is even normal before posting the negative responses? Maybe you would have found that your care/feeding was lacking. I'd be pissed off too if I were starving.

Does he have a secure spot in his cage to hide? Not having this can really put a snake on edge.
However, I have no experience taming blood pythons, but lots of experience hugging them. (Also, both my boas 'came' tame)
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Eryx - All the fun of a boa in a convenient pocket size!

Either way, I would first off like to say that all of my animals are my pets that I do hold and enjoy. Snakes like any other living thing has it's own way of thinking. This will sound funny, but try putting yourself in the snakes skin for a moment. How could someone calm you down? Slow, easy and understanding? I find that with boas I can cover their face with newspaper and then pick them up with one hand holding them up above my head and just stand still letting them look around a little. I then place the animal back in the cage with the paper over the head if needed. Don't go at the snake when changing hands, take the snake to the other hand, stuff like that. Think it out and you will see what needs to be done with your pet. Best of luck......

The feed back is always great!! I am going to get a blood in november and I will keep everyone posted on the Boa. Thanks again,
Tom

All he said was in his expierence with them they're (meaning his) is nasty. It happens. He gave no indication as to the back ground of the sanke. WC's can be pretty aggressive. Maybe it was an adoption where the previous owner mistreated it leading to the bad attitude and smaller size. Maybe it's a dwarf and has a Napolean complex. What ever the case may be it doesn't make him a crackhead or anything else. He can have his opinion. Personally, I think garter and ringneck snakes suck. Am I a crackhead for having an opinion? MAYBE SOME OF YOU SHOULD GROW UP and try to help and give constructive advise like this site was intended for instead of running off at the mouth because you happen to enjoy the species more than others.

Yes, he had a bad experience with a blood, but he's going around preaching negative info based off one experience, saying they're dangerous nasty creatures. He's saying that the "typical reptile hobbyist" should not own bloods, only professional reptile breeders. Sorry, Brian, that is an entirely asinine statement if I've ever heard one.

If you actually took the time to read his posts, you'd see that our buddy Jerseyguy is making HUGE generalizations based on a negative experience with one snake - pretty silly thing to do if you asked me. Hey, since we're using this logic...man, I was just bitten by a ball python...it's a pretty aggressive snake so I guess nobody but professional breeders should keep them. Come to think of it, I have a corn snake that will open a can of whoop@$$ on anyone who gets near it, so only professional breeders should keep these aggressive, nasty, unpredictable, dangerous snakes, too!!!!! So that's IT!!! Game OVER! These two species that are typically considered great "pet" snakes are now OFF THE LIST based on two specimens with behavior problems.

Something to think about, too - no, Jerseyguy didn't give us any background information on the snake - seems like someone trying to be a more reliable source of information would think to do so, huh? Maybe the blood has issues, maybe the keeper has issues, but the keeper isn't too bright to come onto a blood forum & start trashing this fabulous species all because he doesn't know how to deal with one. Maybe HE should be asking for help, huh?

Blood pythons are NOT for beginners, but they're a great animal for someone who has already learned how to read snakes, who has their husbandry skills down pat, and who can think for themselves!!!

Spare us the drama, please Brian. Don't come in here telling a group of dedicated blood keepers to grow up because someone comes in and starts spreading biased, erroneous information based on a lousy experience. I'd bet dollars to doughnuts the problem is with the keeper and not the snake.

How about YOU go do something constructive now? I'm off to clean cages & spend time with some doggone friendly bloods!!!!

K

>>All he said was in his expierence with them they're (meaning his) is nasty. It happens. He gave no indication as to the back ground of the sanke. WC's can be pretty aggressive. Maybe it was an adoption where the previous owner mistreated it leading to the bad attitude and smaller size. Maybe it's a dwarf and has a Napolean complex. What ever the case may be it doesn't make him a crackhead or anything else. He can have his opinion. Personally, I think garter and ringneck snakes suck. Am I a crackhead for having an opinion? MAYBE SOME OF YOU SHOULD GROW UP and try to help and give constructive advise like this site was intended for instead of running off at the mouth because you happen to enjoy the species more than others.

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Just because I have a short attention span doesn't mean

I went so far as to do a search and look at his posts from months ago. And I agree, it sounds like he got in a little over his head. "Hey man, they're really great snakes. Did you try..." is the type of responce I'd expect from dedicated expierenced keepers. I'm not trying to start any more drama than has already been started. The only point I'm trying to make is it would be much more benificial to blood keepers and herpers in general to try to help this guy instead of calling him an idiot repeatedly. If everybody is so passionate you'd think they want the best for this snake even if it is in somebody else's care.

Hey,
Well be that as it may, I think you can pretty well see that the keepers and the good people of this forum, take pretty seriously, their bloods and short-tails and do not take very kindly to blood and short-tail bashing, in any way shape or form. I can understand your chagrin over what was said, but you have to put your self in the shoes of one of us, my self included and visualize how important and integral this species has become to our daily lives. Yes! the reality is we can live without bloods, but the choice is ours to make, and we have chosen to live with them and provide them with the very best care possible, and to glean from others the very best possible information based on good experience.

With that much said, I think that the onus lies very well within the author of said insipid post, to ensure that he understands the ramifications of species bashing, based on the very limited experience he has with the species. It is with the best intentions that we have regarded this particular forum, as one of the best amongst the many other boid and colubrid forums on Kingsnake, that we take seriously, what others think and what opinions they form. One cannot form opinions without any serious knowledge of the care and maintenance of a species without first putting in the time and effort to learn. Knowledge is not won, but earned, and to that extent we must express our hard earned wisdom, when and only when, we feel that we are truly doing justice and not in any way degrading or demeaning what others have worked so hard to achieve.

-Angel
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"Until we lose our self, there is no way of finding our self."
-Henry Miller.

Hey,
Only time put in will get you positive and good results. Without the work, you will always have the fear and prejudice of working with the blood species. Think of a dog that constantly poops in the house, and you blame the dog for its mistake. Well, if you gradually work with the dog, and bestow trust and a sense of security to it, in time, he will start to understand the difference and will reward you by taking his business outside. The same applies to snakes. If you put in the time and effort to work with the species, be it a blood, or some other species, they too will reward you by demonstrating a tolerance for handling and will exhibit less and less aggression towards its keeper. I've kept many a species that would other wise not tolerate handling, but with the right amount of work and effort by me, have proven that they are cautious if you will.

They are by our standards, diminutive and must also, be made to feel that they can trust us. We are after all a pretty formidable species our selves, and must loom huge in the eyes of a blood. At any rate, it is in your best interest to work with the species, with a good healthy respect for it. Given the right amount of time and patience and last but not least, care, it will come to recognize friend from foe, and the experience will take on a whole new meaning.

Glove it for the first few days (7-10) and gradually start to remove the glove after about 10-15 minutes of handling and allow the snake to crawl over the bare hand. If you get bit, hey! those are the breaks and the chances we must take, but it will soon recognize you as a Non-Threat.

Home Depot, sells some pretty cheap leather, "welders-gloves", that come up over the form arm for about 9 bucks.
-Angel
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"Until we lose our self, there is no way of finding our self."
-Henry Miller.

Interesting that you should mention a dog pooping in the house . I am also house breaking a Dachshund.LOL
Tom
2.1 albino redears
2.2 North American Woods
4.6.3 Spotted turtles
0.0.8 Blandings
0.0.6 western painted
2.1 100% het albino boas
0.1 66% het albino boa
1.1 northern pines
0.0.2 Giant Asian woods
0.2 dachshunds
Comming in november BLOOD PYTHONS!!!!